During an economic downturn you have to let your imagination wander off down uncharted avenues in order to come up with some off the wall ideas to make money.
One such idea is to wrap your car in advertising – it’s called car wrapping.
You must have seen vehicles emblazoned with advertising graphics driving around city centres and along busy highways? Did you realise that some of those drivers may have actually been getting paid to display the adverts on their vehicles?
Car wrapping is quite a new trend in marketing but there are a few companies out there which act as a broker between the businesses wishing to buy the advertising space and the person/business wishing to display the advertising on their vehicle.
How much can you earn from car wrapping?
Free Car Media says on its website that it is possible to earn up to $900 per month.
The next logical question to ask is how the car wrapping scheme works. The money sounds great, but there must be a catch. The truth is, there isn’t a catch, but there is a bit of a problem.
Just because you apply for the scheme does not mean your vehicle will be automatically chosen to participate. The final choice comes down to the advertisers. They have access to the database of applicants and can pick and choose which vehicles they would like to have wrapped.
Is car wrapping a good option for you?
It would be a good option if you drive a lot of miles along busy highways and don’t mind people staring at your car. Some companies stipulate a minimum amount of miles must be covered before accepting your application (usually about 800 miles per month) and your vehicle must be of a certain age (ie fairly new)
How much control over the advertising would you have?
As the carrier of advertising you would have to right to refuse to display any advertising you feel uncomfortable with. If you come across a company which does not allow you this option, you should definitely not sign up with it.
Does the car wrapping damage the car?
No, the adverts are made from decals which can be removed without causing any damage to the paintwork.
How long can you expect the car wrapper to be on your car?
There are too many variables to give specific times – it all depends on the marketing campaign and the advertising company involved. There have been situations where a vehicle has carried advertising for a couple of years, but in realistic terms, you should expect a few months at a time and anything longer to be a bonus.
If this sounds like the kind of scheme you would like to sign up for, here are a few websites where you can do just that:
USA
Free Car Media
AdSmart
AdWraps
Not all of these companies operate in the same way or pay the same fees, so spend a bit of time reading the terms and conditions for each one.
Car wrapping is one of those ideas that sounds too good to be true so be sure to go into any kind of deal with your eyes wide open and fully understand what is expected from you. Money can be made from wrapping your car with an advert, but a lot of people are trying to make money the same way, so you may have to wait a while before you are chosen.
We would love to hear your thoughts on this subject, especially if you have participated in such a scheme. Was it hassle free? Did you make money? How long did you have to wait to be chosen?
Let us know by leaving a comment below.
Whilst going about your research you may also like to read this article.